Un’s Sustainable Development Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and production

The UN Sustainable Development Goal 12 emphasizes the importance of responsible consumption and production as a means to promote sustainable practices globally. This goal aims to enhance resource and energy efficiency, develop sustainable infrastructure, and ensure access to basic services, ultimately improving the quality of life for all individuals.

The implementation of SDG 12 is crucial for achieving broader development plans, as it helps to reduce future economic, environmental, and social costs. It strengthens economic competitiveness and plays a significant role in poverty reduction. The UN has established 11 specific targets and 13 indicators to measure progress towards this goal. The targets outline the objectives, while the indicators serve as metrics to track the achievement of these targets.

One of the primary objectives of SDG 12 is to ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns. This requires urgent action to reduce the ecological footprint by transforming the ways goods and resources are produced and consumed. Agriculture, for instance, is the largest user of water globally, with irrigation accounting for nearly 70 percent of all freshwater used by humans. Efficient management of natural resources and the elimination of toxic waste and pollutants are essential targets for achieving this goal.

Encouraging industries, businesses, and consumers to recycle and minimize waste is vital, as is supporting developing countries in transitioning to more sustainable consumption patterns by 2030. A significant portion of the global population still consumes insufficient resources to meet their basic needs, highlighting the need for improved efficiency in production and supply chains. This shift is crucial for enhancing food security and fostering a resource-efficient economy.

The current state of global consumption and production relies heavily on the exploitation of natural resources, leading to environmental degradation that threatens future development and survival. For example, approximately one-third of all food produced—around 1.3 billion tonnes valued at $1 trillion—ends up wasted due to poor practices in transportation and harvesting, or simply rotting in bins. Transitioning to energy-efficient technologies, such as light bulbs, could save the world an estimated $120 billion annually.

The COVID-19 pandemic presents an opportunity for countries to develop recovery plans that can reverse negative trends and promote sustainable consumption and production patterns. Achieving SDG 12 involves doing more with less, decoupling economic growth from environmental harm, increasing resource efficiency, and promoting sustainable lifestyles. Ultimately, sustainable consumption and production can significantly contribute to poverty alleviation and the transition towards low-carbon, green economies.